Means for launching lifeboats



Jan. 15 1924. 1,481,154

. I A. P. SCHAT v MEANS FOR LAUNCHING LIFEBOATS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 jan. 15 1924.

A. P. SCHAT MEANS FOR LAUNCHING LIFEBOATS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3. 1921 Jan. 15 1924.

' A. P. SCHAT MEANS FOR LAUNCHING LIFEBOATS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jae]? 50m jZiOrng/I Patented Jan. 15, 1&24.

[ii-sires rarer eas est" series- .ANE r. SCHAT, on THE HAGUE, i n'riinnnanns.

MEANS roe LAUNCHING LIFEBOATS.

Application filed February 3, 1921. Serial No. 442,632.

T all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, Ann P. Sonar, a citizen of the Netherlands, residing at The Hague, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means' for Launching Lifeboat-ts, of which the followin is aspecification.

lrfy' invention relates to improvedmeans oflaunching lifeboats, and is in one ortwo point-s related to the construction set forth iiii my copending; application, Ser. No. 441,618.

It has always been common practice in the art of suspending a lifeboat to lead the boat fall over" a block (which may be the top block'of a tackle) attached to the davit top at an invariable distance therefrom, for instance by means of an eye and a hook. In accordance with the present invention,

however, said block is suspended from a rope or a cable running over the davit top, and attached either to the davitor to another member. In many cases, this suspension results in a reduction of the strains in the davit, thus avoiding a heavy construction.

A special advantage realized by the invention is the possibility of employing the,

panying drawings showing some QIDb'OCll.

ments of my invention. Y r

Fig. 1' is a side view of a davit having a boat suspended therefrom by aflexible member with its lower end secured to the stem of the da'vi t.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a davit showing my improvement arranged to utilize the Weight of the load to rotate the davit. V

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of Fig. 2; and, Fig; 4 isa side elevational view showing my improvement arranged to utilize the weight of the load'to brake a drum on the deck of a ship.

Fig. 1" of thedrawings illustrates in an.

elevational View, an ordinary vertical r0 t-ary d-avit 1 serving forsupporting a lifeboat 2 suspended from a'tackle the top block 3 of which is attached to a rope 4t. Said rope i is led over a sheave 5 pivoted to the davit top, thence over guide roller 6 and finally to a cleat 7 on the davit, but it will be understood that saidrope may also be attached to a cleat or the like on deck. The boat fall is designated by 8'.

Figs. 2 and 8 are anielevation. andv a plan view respectively of a second embodiment.

of the invention. Thev boat fall here is wound on the drum of a winch 9, the rope 4/ running from the guide roller 6 over sheave 10 attached to the deck 11, and thence around a disc 12 keyed on the davit 1 concentrically therewith, in such a manner that the tension in said rope 4t tends to force the davit out. The rope 4 is secured to said disc 12 as at 12". It will be understood that the-rope 4 may also be wound on disc 12 in the opposite direction so as to prevent the davitfrom rotating, which may be of value for. rotary davits having their axes of rota tion inclinedtowards the water.

Fig. 4; is an elevation ofstill another embodiment. As will be seen, the rope runs from roller 6 over sheave 10 to one'arm of a double-armed lever 13 pivoted to deck as i at 14 and connected with the brakeband 15 of the winch 9 which serves forhaulingin and paying out the boat fall 8, the arrange;

ment being such that the tension in rope apply the brake of permanently tends to the winch. i V

A hand lever 16, which. is pivotally connected with a rod 17 hinged to the other arm of lever 13 serves for releasing the brakeband 15. and, if necessary, for increasing;

the braking eifect'of said band. o

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and, in what manner the same is to be performed, I: declare that what I claim is I 1.1n a device of'the character described,

the combination with a davit having a top' block over which the boatfall is led, ofan independent flexible member with said block a suspended therefrom; and mechanism -in directly associated with the davit', to which mechanism. said fleXlble member is secured,

said mechanismbeing adapted to be oper ated by the tension in the flexible member, whereby the tensional force applied to said mechanism is proportionate to the weight of the suspended load.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having a top block over which the boatfall is led, of a flexible member for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top proportionate to the weight of the suspended load; and operative mechanism adjacent the davit; said flexible member being con nected therewith, whereby the tension of said member is utilized to operate said mechanism.

3. In a device of the character described, a davit adapted to rotate on its longitudinal axis from inboard to outboardposition to put a lifeboat overboard, said davit having a top block over which the boatfall is led; and a flexible member for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top; mechanism on deck adapted to be operated by a pull thereupon, said flexible member being led from said block over the davit top to said mechanism on deck to form an operative connection between the same and said suspended block, whereby to utilize the pull of the block upon said flexible member to operate said mechanism.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having a top block over which the boatfall is led, of a flexiblemember for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; and braking mechanism for said drum, with the lower end of said flexible member operatively connected-With said braking mechanism, whereby the drum is braked in proportion to the weight of the suspended load. I

5. In a device of the'character described, the combination with a davit having atop block over which the boatfall is led, of a flexible member for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; braking mechanism for said drum, with the lower end of said flexible member operativelyconnected with said braking mechanism, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load; and independent means operatively connected with the braking mechanism for regulating the action thereof,

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having a top block'overwhich the boatfall' is led, of a flexible member for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; braking mechanism for said drum, with thelower end of said flexible member operatively connected with said braking mechanism, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load; and additional means operatively connected with said braking mechanism for manually controlling the same.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination" with a davit having a top block over which the boatit'all is led, of a flexible member for suspending said block at a variable distance from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boattall is wound; braking mechanism for said drum, with the lower end of said flexible member operatively connected with said braking mechanism, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load; and adjustable means also operatively connected with said braking mechanism for adjustably controlling the same. K

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having a top block over. which the boat-fall is led, of a flexible member for suspending said block at a Variable distance from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; braking mechanism for said drum, with the lower end of said flexible member operatively connected with said braking mechanism, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load; and manually controlled auxiliary braking mechanism connected with said first named braking mechanism for cooperating with the load to control the braking mechanism.

9. The combination with mechanism not directly associated therewith, of a flexible load-supporting member, said mechanism having a movable part by which it is operated, the flexible member being connected at one end to said movable.

part and extending from the same over the davit top and depending therefrom, with,

means at said depending end for engagement with the load to be supported by the davit, whereby the depending load moves said flexible member longitudinally and thereby operates said mechanism.

10. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a davit having a top block over which the boatfall is led, of an independent flexible member for suspending said block from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; braking mechanism for said a davit and 7 drum with the lower end of the flexible,

member operatively connected therewith, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load; and,

additional means operatively connected with said braking mechanism for manually controlling the same, said last named means being arranged to permit the free movement of the braking mechanism in a direction to apply the brakes.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having a top block over which the boatfall is led, of an independent flexible member for suspending said block from the davit top; a drum around which the hauling end of the boatfall is wound; braking mechanism for said drum with the lower end of the flexible member operatively connected therewith, whereby to brake the drum in proportion to the weight of the suspended load, and to utilize approximately the entire weight of the load in effecting said braking operation; and additional means operatively connected with said braking mechanism for manually controllingthe same, said last named means being arranged to permit the free movement of the braking mechanism in a direction to apply the brakes, and also arranged to antomatically lock said braking mechanism against a releasing movement as the brakes are progressively applied by the load.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ANE P. sonar. 

